Sore Past, Healed by A Future
by losingsleep20
Summary: A missing scene to Dagger in Season 6, an alternative ending. Tiva friendship/romance Sorry I'm terrible at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Wow it's been a long time since I've written anything. I would have put this up sooner but I had the flu, and was feeling right miserable. I couldn't stop thinking about this after I re-watched Dagger. Please review and tell me what you think!

**Disclaimer: **I own no part of NCIS, even though I wish on every star I see.

* * *

Gibbs stood out in front of MTAC, leaning on the railing. He watched his agents down below in the squad room. He couldn't ignore how perfect the scene in front of him looked.

Ziva sat at her desk with Amanda, watching the young girl draw.

"Red apples, that's good, Amanda."

Ziva kept her eyes on the child as her partner walked in with a paper bag and a small, steaming cup.

"Breakfast is served, milady," Tony said, setting down the items in front of Amanda. "A chocolate chip cookie and some hot cocoa," he told her as she thanked him softly.

Ziva smiled, putting down the apple she had picked up. "Your aunt will be here shortly to pick you up," she told the girl. Amanda nodded in response.

By that time, Gibbs had made his way down the steps, trying to push the thought of his two agents out of his mind. He had never seen Ziva open up like that before. Ziva acted almost like an older sister to Amanda, not leaving her side the whole day. She had happily obliged when he told her and Tony to look after the girl.

Thinking of Tony, Gibbs ran his hand through his silver hair. The younger man had never been able to connect well with the younger children they had come across on the job. He had always been too cool to play with a child, except for Carson, who was exactly like him. But throughout the day, Tony had made Amanda feel comfortable and carefree.

Gibbs ran his fingers through his hair again and sighed. He would worry about how much his agents had looked like a family with the little girl later. Right now, he had some very unpleasant news to deliver to this smiling child.

* * *

Tony straightened up and returned to his desk as his boss appeared behind him. He knew what Gibbs would have to do, and walked back to his desk solemnly.

Amanda spoke to Ziva one last time before joining Gibbs.

"Thanks for helping me with my drawing Ziva."

Ziva smiled sadly at her and nodded. She strode over next to Tony's desk to witness the conversation before her with Tony.

Their hearts broke at the same time as Amanda asked, "Where's Michy?"

Tony's green eyes glanced up to meet Ziva's brown eyes looking back. They both focused back on their boss and the little girl quickly.

Tony's eyes reflected his emotions as Gibbs handed the little girl Michelle Lee's badge. He looked up at his partner to see the same pain mirrored in her eyes. Tears that had been building up during the conversation started to run down her cheeks. DiNozzo looked back at Amanda before bringing his attention back to Ziva. Their eyes met for the briefest moment, then she turned away, back to her desk.

Tony couldn't speak. His partner's reaction caught him off guard. The emotion in her eyes, the tears, for once Tony was able to see over the wall that had shielded her for so long. He couldn't quite remember why this would affect Ziva so much. He knew something was there, from one of their many conversations, but it was just out of his grasp.

All he could manage was one last, troubled stare at Amanda as she examined Lee's badge.

* * *

**A/N: **Just in case anyone was wondering, I do plan on continuing this with at least one more chapter. Feel free to review!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Alright I'm pretty sure there will be one more chapter after this for this story. I'm gonna keep it nice and simple. Besides, who doesn't like a cute, little Tiva tale? Heck, who doesn't like anything Tiva?! Okay, enough with the ranting, story time!

**Disclaimer:** I really hate talking about how I don't own NCIS...it's a sore subject.

* * *

Tony was stealing his umpteenth glance at his partner, willing her to meet his eyes. He knew she could feel his gaze on her, but she engrossed herself in paperwork, only looking up to check on Amanda, who was waiting for her aunt with Gibbs.

Both agents snapped their heads up as the elevator dinged. Ziva hoped that it would be a false alarm like the last several times, and that Amanda would stay just a little bit longer.

She sighed as a younger Asian woman stepped out, giving her niece a sad smile. Amanda lit up at the familiar face, and ran into her aunt's arms. Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs all watched the scene silently. Gibbs looked down and went over to give his apologies about Lee's death.

Tony was able stop staring, and turn his attention to Ziva instead, who couldn't take her eyes off the young girl. He watched the emotions run across her face briefly, and then nothing.

She had her Mossad face on again.

Even with her surface feelings controlled, Ziva's eyes would not shut up, and Tony heard them loud and clear as she watched Amanda grip her aunt's hand while listening to GIbbs. He noted several emotions in her pained brown eyes.

He saw the obvious sadness, her struggle for control of herself, and something that took him by surprise.

A hint of jealousy.

For the second time that day, Ziva David had caught Tony off guard. She never failed to surprise him. He knew deep down that he shouldn't be surprised, he knew they had already talked about this in one of their early conversations. Yet what was bothering her still eluded Tony.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard Gibbs saying one final goodbye. Ziva watched Amanda trail after her aunt to the elevator with a longing look. Her heart nearly shattered as the little girl waved back, just before the steel doors shut.

Gibbs didn't miss the change in Ziva's demeanor as he returned to his desk.

"Something wrong, David?"

Ziva gave the elevators one lingering glance, and turned back to her co-workers. She was all too aware of the concern in Tony's green eyes, then turned to see the same concern mirrored in the clear blue eyes of her boss.

Not trusting her voice, she simply shook her head slightly. Gibbs gave her one last look before turning back to his computer.

For a few hours, there was nothing but the sound of fingers on keyboards, typing away furiously.

"It's been a long day, you guys can call it a night. Go home and get some sleep," Gibbs ordered, giving Ziva a hard look.

His two agents nodded in return, and he rose from his desk.

"I'll go tell Elf Lord," he said, heading for the lab without a backwards glance.

Ziva shut down her computer and gathered her things. She shrugged on her jacket and gave Tony a nod in farewell. She gave her a soft smile back, and waved goodnight.

DiNozzo sighed and turned to his own computer, and continued typing.

Seconds after the elevator doors closed, he felt a palm make contact with the back of his head.

"Ouch, Boss, what was that for?" Tony winced.

Gibbs stopped in front of Tony's desk, sipping his coffee.

"I told you to go home. It wasn't a request."

"Yeah but boss I'm almost done this last paper..." Tony trailed off at the look on Gibbs face.

His boss leaned down.

"Your partner has been off all day, and you're still here? You're lucky I don't slap you all the way to Mexico, DiNozzo," Gibbs told him.

Tony realized what his boss was saying.

"I mean I was just heading off to check up on my partner," Tony corrected, shutting down his computer and grabbing his jacket before running to the elevator.

"Night Boss!"

Gibbs sat down at his desk, shaking his head.

"Have to do everything around here," he muttered with a shadow of a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Alright, this is it, the last chapter. I know everybody wants some true Tiva interaction, so hopefully you guys like this chapter. Thanks to everybody that reviewed!

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own anything, sadly. =(

* * *

Tony drove a little more like Ziva than he normally would have, trying to get his thoughts in order. It had taken a few minutes for the shock of Gibbs sending him to Ziva's apartment to wear off, but now he was completely focused on how he would deal with his partner. As much as he didn't like them, Tony knew he would end up having a serious conversation with the Mossad ninja. He was going to have to be able to lighten the mood, after all he didn't want to just barge in unannounced and make her talk to him. He'd ease his way into it.

Cutting off two cars, and ignoring the chorus of honks that protested his maneuver, DiNozzo banked a sharp right and sped forward. He was going to make a quick stop before Ziva's apartment.

* * *

Ziva lounged on her couch, holding a glass of wine in one hand. She couldn't get one face out of her head all day, and for once it wasn't Tony's. It was as if Amanda had been sent to haunt her, to bring back old pains that she had tried so hard to forget. All she could think about was--

Her thoughts were cut off by a loud knocking at her door. She knew it was Tony, because he did a silly knock that no other adult would be caught doing. Ziva sighed and stood up, setting her glass down on the kitchen table as she went to let Tony in.

"Come on, Miss Mossad, you can't hide from me! I know you're in there. Hey, I will pick this lock if I have to.." Tony's calls trailed off as his partner opened the door.

Tony held up a DVD in one hand, and a brown bag in the other. "I come bearing gifts."

Ziva smiled at Tony and stepped aside to let him in.

"You do not know how to pick the lock on my door, Tony, ' she commented, shutting the door.

DiNozzo looked up and gave her a boyish grin.

"I would've just knocked it off the hinges eventually."

Ziva rolled her eyes at him, but had a slight smile on her face.

"So what gifts have you brought with you?" she questioned, gesturing to DVD and bag on the table.

Tony searched around, opening and closing cabinets as he answered, "Chinese food, hey do you have any plates or silverware around here?"

Ziva walked over to a cabinet and pulled out two plates, then nodded at a drawer in front of Tony.

"Forks and knives are in there. You did not tell me what movie you brought," she said, placing the plates on the table and craning her neck to view the cover of the DVD.

Tony set down the silverware and snatched up the mystery movie.

"Not so fast, my ninja," he said, going to put the DVD in living room, "you only get to watch that if we have a good talk."

Ziva looked down, she knew where this would be going.

Tony strode back in, and came to a stop in front of his partner. "You're going to have to tell me. There's no running from it now."

Ziva met his eyes for a brief moment, both agents aware of how close they were. Tony broke away first, taking containers out of the bag. Ziva moved to help him, and they both started serving themselves.

They ate in a companionable silence, their minds on the foreshadowing conversation. Neither noticed the way they both stole glances at each other as they finished their meals.

Both Tony and Ziva finished at the same time, and in some unspoken agreement, they washed the dishes, still in a comfortable silence.

* * *

Finally there was no avoiding it. Ziva followed her partner to the couch. He took a seat on the end, and she sat down closer than necessary. Neither of them complained about the proximity.

Ziva looked everywhere but Tony, yet she could feel his gaze never leaving her face. She spoke after a few moments, turning to face him.

"You are the one who wanted to talk. Go ahead."

Tony took a deep breath before he started.

"I should've remembered earlier, but I just couldn't get through my head why you would be so upset about Amanda. But I figured it out. Do you wanna talk about it, I mean Tali?" he finished quietly.

Ziva almost fell apart as he spoke his last word. She looked away from him. Tony reached out, and and guided her cheek back so that she was looking at him. His green eyes were gentle, and his voice was soft.

"It's okay to open up, Ziva."

She couldn't take it anymore. Tony saw the tears threatening to fall and opened his arms. She leaned in willing and cried silently. They sat like that for a few minutes, Tony's hand traveling up and stroking her hair lightly. Ziva calmed down, and leaned up to look him in the eyes. It was then that they noticed Ziva was half-way laying on his chest. Their faces were only inches apart.

Tony decided to risk everything they had. He leaned in a brushed his lips against hers. She responded right away, and kissed him back.

"Thank you Tony," Ziva whispered.

She touched her lips to his again, and this time it was a little deeper. Ziva's hands ran through his hair, and Tony wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in tighter. They grew more passionate and urgent, but broke apart for air.

Tony panted, regaining his breath, "Well, I'd say that was a good talk. Up for a movie night?" But for once in his life, DiNozzo didn't really want to watch anything.

Ziva gave him a seductive smile and replied, "I am not in the mood for a movie tonight," and leaned in to kiss him again.

Tony smiled into the kiss and managed to speak.

"You know, I'm okay with that."


End file.
